Ricebirds sweep Newport

Tuesday

Apr 10, 2012 at 12:01 AMJul 5, 2012 at 1:48 PM

The temperatures have cooled down in April but not the Ricebirds’ streak as they picked up two more wins with a sweep over the Greyhounds. The first game was 7-1 in favor of Stuttgart and 16-7 in the second game. This improves Stuttgart to 10-8 overall.

Eddy Tucker

The Stuttgart Ricebird baseball team was in action on Monday night as they hosted Newport in conference play. The temperatures have cooled down in April but not the Ricebirds’ streak as they picked up two more wins with a sweep over the Greyhounds. The first game was 7-1 in favor of Stuttgart and 16-7 in the second game. This improves Stuttgart to 10-8 overall.

Neither team was able to score in the first game until the bottom of the third inning when Hunter Harris scored off a Dontrell Brown single to left field. Aaron Lockwood picked up another run when Jon Curtis brought him home on a single to right field. This put Stuttgart up 2-0 after two innings.

Good pitching by Curtis and good defense by the Ricebirds kept Newport in check for another inning. Stuttgart was able to add to its total in the bottom of the fourth when Jay McGee scored after Jacob Clawson hit a grounder to short stop. McGee was on base by virtue of a walk to start the inning.

Newport did score one run in the game during the top of the sixth inning. A double to left field brought the Greyhound home to cut the Stuttgart lead to 3-1.

The Ricebirds put the game away in the bottom of the sixth inning when four runs were added to the total. Taylor Daniels doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a passed ball. This put Daniels in scoring position and on the next passed ball he was able to run home for the score. Clawson hit a big line drive to right field which was good for a triple and two runs as McGee and Regan Counce crossed home. Wayman Johnson then entered the game as a courtesy runner for Clawson and scored when Lockwood singled to right field. This put Stuttgart up 7-1 and this is how the game would end.

Curtis pitched a complete game for Stuttgart going seven innings and giving up one run on eight hits. Curtis struck out five batters and only walked three.

Clawson was the big batter in this first game as he had two hits in three at-bats. Clawson was credited with three RBIs. Brown and Harris each had a stolen base.

Stuttgart fell behind early in the second game as Newport started off strong with a two-run first inning. Stuttgart was unable to answer and the scored stayed 2-0 until the bottom of the second.

McGee was leadoff batter and reached on an error by the Newport pitcher. Clawson advanced McGee on a sacrifice fly which moved McGee to second. A wild pitch moved McGee on to third and with a passed ball; McGee was able to come home for the first Stuttgart run of the game. Counce was next to score as a home run to left field tied the score at 2-2. The Ricebirds were not done as Gere Elam scored on a Brown single. Lockwood was able to move to second and, following a stolen base, he was able to come home on another passed ball. By the end of the second inning, Stuttgart led 4-2.

This lead did not last long as Newport was able to take advantage of some Ricebird miscues to put four runs on its side of the board. Newport now led 6-4 after 3.5 innings.

Stuttgart did get one run back in the bottom of the third when McGee was brought home by Clawson.

The Stuttgart defense shut down Newport for next two innings but the Ricebird offense came alive. Three runs were added in each of the next two innings as Lockwood, Brown and Curtis picked up a run apiece in both the fourth and fifth innings.

Five more runs in the sixth put the game out of reach for Newport at 16-7. A triple by Curtis scored three of the five runs as Elam, Lockwood and Brown were able to cross home. Counce and Carter Ward added the other two runs.

Harris pitched a full game for Stuttgart. Harris gave up seven runs on seven hits with only two of the runs being earned. Harris also walked two batters but struck out eight in the game.
Brown, Curtis and Daniels had three RBIs each with Curtis also having three hits. Lockwood and Brown scored three runs each.

“Feels like the kids were focused and ready,” head coach Kevin Youngblood said. “They stuck with the game plan all the way from the start. Our plan paid off. I am very proud of our selfless kids!”

The baseball team will be back in action on Thursday as they travel to Mayflower.